Smithfield Packing Company was founded in 1936 by Joseph W. Luter and his son Joseph W. Luter, Jr., in the Town of Smithfield

Smithfield, Virginia

Smithfield is a town in Isle of Wight County, in the South Hampton Roads subregion of the Hampton Roads region of Virginia in the United States. The population was 8,089 at the 2010 census....

 along the Pagan River, a tributary of the James River

James River (Virginia)

The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...

 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia

Isle of Wight County, Virginia

As of the census of 2010, there were 35,270 people, 11,319 households, and 8,670 families residing in the county. The population density was 94 people per square mile . There were 12,066 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...

, USA, to produce Smithfield ham

Smithfield ham

Smithfield ham is a specific form of the country ham, a product which originated in the town of Smithfield in Isle of Wight County in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, USA.-Legal definition:...

s. http://www.smithfield.com/about/index.php
Today, Smithfield Packing is a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, Inc., a Fortune 500

Fortune 500

The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...

 company.

History

The Luter family of Smithfield, Virginia, has been curing and selling hams since the turn of the century. Joseph W. Luter, Sr.'s first job was at a local meat packing plant. His young son, Joseph W. Luter, Jr., followed in his father's footsteps, learning every phase of the meat packing industry. And eventually persuading him to start their own business - Smithfield Packing Company was chartered in 1936.

In 1962, with Smithfield already on its way to becoming the "Ham Capital of the World", Joseph W. Luter III

Joseph W. Luter III

Joseph W. Luter III is chairman of Smithfield Foods, Inc. , the world's largest hog producer and pork processor. Under Luter's leadership, Smithfield Foods has grown to over $11 billion in annual revenues and has successfully integrated more than 53 acquisitions over the last 24 years to expand...

 became the company's leader. Expanding the plant's facilities and product line became the key to a growth cycle that promoted Smithfield Packing Company from a family business into a large, investor-owned and publicly-traded company.

Today Smithfield Packing has become a worldwide marketer of pork

Pork

Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....

 products, the largest subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, Inc., and one of America's largest meat companies. It also owns the largest slaughterhouse

Slaughterhouse

A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...

 in the world, located at Tar Heel, North Carolina

Tar Heel, North Carolina

Tar Heel is a town located in Bladen County, North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 70.Tar Heel is home to the largest pork processing plant in the world which opened in 1992, operated by Smithfield Foods and is located just north of the Town...

, USA, and built in 1992. Joseph W. Luter IV, became president of Smithfield Packing in 2004 after having served as an executive vice president of the parent company.